


Birds and Bars

by JustABetaWriter



Series: Detroit Evolution 2020 Artfest [5]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game), Octopunk Media's Detroit Evolution
Genre: Alternate Universe - Western, DE ArtFest, Detroit Evolution, F/F, First Meetings, Flirting, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Swearing, The Birds work for the Bourgeoisie, The yee to my HAw, Tina Chen-centric, Tina is down on her luck, Valerie owns a bar, Yeehaw AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-05
Updated: 2020-07-05
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:35:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25096942
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustABetaWriter/pseuds/JustABetaWriter
Summary: Tina has a problem.Said problem involves an ex-fiancee, an oncoming storm, and a lack of housing.Enter: Valerie. Owner of Val's Inn and Bar; a very cute bartender.
Relationships: Tina Chen (Detroit: Become Human)/Maria Schaffer, Tina Chen (Detroit: Become Human)/Valerie Morales-Chen
Series: Detroit Evolution 2020 Artfest [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1810930
Kudos: 10





	Birds and Bars

**Author's Note:**

> Slight crack fic?
> 
> Written for Day 5 of DE artfest, Western Au, and is entirely too long, and almost late.
> 
> (I looked up southern slang for this, and I apologize for none of it! Enjoy reading all those dropped letters, slang that I have no clue how to use, and some cheesy pet names.)

Tina knew she would have difficulty fitting in to a new town, especially as a new lady moving in with a fellow lady for companionship, but she never expected  _ this _ to happen. 

Walking down an empty dark street, all her possessions locked in a small trunk wheeled behind her, and the faint taste of whisky on her lips. She hadn’t meant to upset Maria badly enough to get kicked, but honestly, who keeps all their pet birds in a single room, with a shitty window lock and expects them  _ not _ to get out?

Tina was rightfully tired of the sound of the birds squawking throughout the night, but she wouldn’t try to get rid of them  _ on purpose _ , that would just be cruel. And even if she hadn’t slept through an entire night since she got there, it wasn’t her fault the window was left unlatched, she was so tired that half the time she didn’t even remember to get dressed, let alone execute an elaborate plot to get rid of the birds!

Tina knew she was better off without Maria and her thirteen pet drones away, the smell was horrendous, and Tina would be finding feathers in her dresses for weeks after the ruckus Maria caused. She honestly preferred the dusty dirt road clinging to everything she owns, to picking out yet another feather from her dresser, only to find a fresh stain of bird shit on her favorite shirt.

However, the time to leave Maria for good, or more accurately get kicked out, wasn’t half past two in the morning. It wasn’t a terribly cold night, which Tina was very thankful for, but there was a gentle cool breeze, and the smell of-

Fresh rain in the distance, thunder crackling overhead, and the flash of lightning blinding her for a split second.

Shit.

Tina picked up her pace, she knew there was an old inn nearby, she’d seen it in the daytime, and even though it looked like a ransacked two-story shed, anything would leak less than the sheriff's office. Catching sight of a dimly lit building in the distance, Tina hiked up her skirt, adjusted her stetson against the wind, and yanked her trunk down the road, hoping to get out of the oncoming storm before the heavens opened up. 

It was a good thing she kept her boots safe from Maria’s birds, she couldn’t imagine trying to traverse the road this late at night with Maria’s fancy dancing shoes. 

* * *

Val’s wasn’t a very popular place, but Valerie loved it all the same. 

It was quite unusual for a lady to own a bar, let alone the inn above it, but any person who dared to come into her home and bad-mouth her business quickly found themself without a place to stay for the night, and a well deserved blossoming bruise across their cheekbone. 

Valerie preferred it, it’s far easier to run a business when half of the patrons were terrified of her, and the other half never seemed to leave. It was pretty rare for a newcomer to stick around for more than a couple drinks, and on a night like this - when the clouds were threatening to open up and drench the valley in water, thunder, and lighting - that Valerie didn’t expect any of her regulars to show up.

It was a very unusual occurrence, when the door was suddenly pushed open just as thunder cracked above, and the first raindrops splattered against the window, that a short lady, dragging a trunk on wheels behind her, stepped into Val’s.

Valerie had never seen anyone quite like her, unashamedly walking in holding her skirts above her calves, showing off her cattle ready boots, reaching up to pull her Stetson off and dust the few raindrops that had fallen on it, shaking her hair out a bowed ribbon, and carelessly slamming the door closed as the rain began to pour. The lady was a fresh summer’s day spent out under the orchards, picking cherries and sweet peaches under the warm sunshine, and Valerie had never wanted to know someone more than this moment. 

“It’s blowing up a storm out there, you’re lucky you made it in before the heavens broke loose.” The lady turned sharply towards Valerie at that, tense and unsure, as if she hadn’t seen the owner perched on a chair behind the counter, before easing as they caught each other’s eyes. 

Valerie couldn’t help but notice the richness to her eyes, the deep abyss that had her caught in a whirlpool of emotions. 

She couldn’t help but call out to her again, “And who might you be, Hun?” Valerie couldn’t help herself from adding Hon, it was a familiar habit, but from the defensiveness in her shoulders, Valerie knew she hit a nerve, a raw nerve.

“It’s Tina, and I ain’t your Hun, Sugar.” Her accent was delightfully smooth, a thick southern drawl tinged with annoyance, and Valerie’s reminded of one of her regulars, Hank Anderson, who’s voice she enjoys far too much for a lady who would rather be in the company of another lady. And Valerie’s no stranger to a friendly verbal spar, she’s been around far too many drunks to not have picked up the skill.

“Then I ain’t your Sugar neither, Tee.” Nothing was cuter than a flustered lady, and Valerie was always one to try and push luck into her favor; she’d also bet that Tina was leaving an ex, who else would willingly go out into a brewing storm, at this time of night, and with an overstuffed trunk nonetheless.

“Name’s Valerie, I own Val’s. Now can I get you anythin’, or are you gonna stand there all night?” The flush high on Tina’s cheeks would be well worth the slap she was going to get if she kept pushing, but as Tina strode over to the counter and perched herself on a chair, it wasn’t frustration or anger that Valerie saw, but overconfidence masking the hurt Valerie could see clearly in her eyes; Tina wanted a distraction. 

“I’d rather watch you, Val,” Tina’s eyes narrowed as she caught Valerie again in her stare, crossing her arms over the counter and leaning forwards, full of false bravado, “But I’ll settle for a whisky, on ice.” 

Valerie snorted, turning away to fix Tina’s drink. “I’m not that easy, Tee. You gonna ask me to come upstairs to your room too? ‘Cause I ain’t interested if that’s all you want.”

“That’s—”

Valerie wasn’t one to pull her punches, so she slides the drink across the counter, interrupting Tina, “I wanna know why you’re walking around with everything stuffed into a box on wheels, with farm boots on, and a rich lady’s dress tucked over your knees, wandering outside at night in the middle of a brewing storm.”

Tina takes a long drink from her glass, dropping the brash facade, and letting the sound of glass against the wooden counter ring out harshly as she sets it down. 

"You really wanna know?" She absently fiddles with her coat buttons, half-heartedly undoing them as she avoids looking at Valerie. "It ain't that interesting."

"I got nothin' else better to do. I doubt there'll be someone else comin' through, with that storm and all." 

Tina drains the last of her drink, sets it down, and finally pulls off her damp jacket, draping over the chair next to her. 

“I loved this girl, was plannin’ on marrying her and everythin’. I met her folks a month ago, and started livin’ with her a couple weeks ago.” Tina sighs deeply, sliding her glass back over to Valerie, nodding as Valerie goes to grab the whiskey bottle from below the counter. 

“Turns out she already had a dozen pigeons livin’ with her, shacked up in her bedroom and all, and they don’t settle when the sun goes down, so I ain’t gettin’ any shuteye, and I— Well, I  _ ‘forgot’ _ to close the window.” Tina’s voice is almost apologetic, but her smirk is far too smug for Valerie to take it seriously, so she keeps quiet, watching the smile drop from Tina’s face as she grabs her second drink. 

“It’s a damn good thing I moved in before we tied the knot,” She scoffs, “It’s no wonder her mamma kept insisting we get hitched before movin’ in together. My daddy was right, I’m an idiot.”

“Hey now, I think you’re awfully brave to leave, ‘specially when you had nowhere else to go, Tee” Valerie lets her hand creep over the top of the bar, laying palm up and close enough for Tina to hold, an offer of comfort with no obligation. 

“I think I’d go crazy if I spent an hour in a room with that lady and her birdy obsession— I don’t know how you lasted an hour, let alone a week!” Tina looks up at that, catching her eyes and giving a soft amused smile, and Valerie forgets how to breathe for a moment as she’s caught up in the utter sincerity of Tina. 

“Thanks, Val.” Tina takes a sip of her drink, sitting further upright and eyeing her trunk by the doorway. “Say, what’s the going rate for a night up in your Inn? I think I might stay awhile, get to know the locals—” She winks, “You know how it is.”

Valerie laughs, “I’ll tell you what, you tell me more of this crazy bird lady, and the first night’s on me.”

“Deal.”


End file.
